DS turning two

My DS is turning two. He is 23 lbs. It would be nice to turn him forward-facing b/c he loves looking at the trucks on the road, but I think I read that keeping him rear-facing is safer.

I have a Graco Size4Me 65 Convertible Car Seat in my 2014 Subaru Forester and 2006 Subaru Outback. I have an Evenflo Tribute Convertible Car Seat in my sitter's car and for travel.

What are your recommendations for when he turns two? And what would be the next transition after that (so I can put on my calendar to remember to do)? Thanks!

He sounds like a little guy still. He should fit rear-facing in his current seat for a long time. The safest thing is to keep him rear-facing as long as he still fits according to the weight and height limits. Once he hits one of the limits then he needs to be turned forward-facing.

I just noticed the Tribute. That one he will outgrow much quicker. Make sure to check that he still has at least one inch of car seat shell above his head.

The AAP recommendation is 2 years, so you have made it to the recommendation, but anything beyond that is going to give your child extra safety. It is generally recommended by car seat experts that you keep a child rear facing until they reach the rear facing limits of the seat you have (depending on the seat). I look at it as a parental decision at this point.

That said, the Size4Me seats that you have are good for extended RF: 40lb and 1" below the adjuster button when fully extended. If your little one is lower weight you could RF in it for a very, very long time.

The Tribute should also go to 40lb RF, but I would check your manual to be sure. That one does have a height restriction of 37", so I would keep an eye out for him reaching that mark when you would need to turn him or purchase a new seat to keep him RF longer.

The good news is that as long as he is under the 37" mark, you don't have to do anything when he turns 2! As far as putting something on the calendar for the next transition, there isn't really any set time. You can either wait until he reaches the max limits and turn him FF, or make the decision to make the change earlier if it is what is best for your family.

Your Size4Me seats will likely keep your kiddo safe until he is ready for a booster.

The study that the AAP used to formulate their recommendation only included children less than 2, which is why they give that age. We know that nothing at age 2 happens that makes it all of the sudden safe to forward face, it's more of a progression. The longer you can keep him rear facing, the better. The pictures here help to show that http://www.carseat.se/rearfacing/safety-benefits/

Once your kiddo is forward facing, you'll want to keep him in a harness until the limits are outgrown for that. In general, that will be when his shoulders go above the top slot of his harness ( harness needs to be at or above the shoulders for forward facing) or if the tips of the ears go above the shell of the seat. Lastly if he outgrows the weight or height limit. If any one of these are met, the harness will be outgrown. At that point he's ready for a belt positioning booster seat if he can stay in position the whole ride.